Ions sources are commonly used in several industries. For example, ion sources are often used to pretreat surfaces, such as polymer substrates, in preparation for deposition of thin films. Ion sources are also used to change the chemistry of thin films during plasma deposition process. Additionally, ion sources can be used to remove charge buildup from films or to clean surfaces.
Ion sources are available from a variety of vendors and are known in the art. But these ion sources typically suffer from several drawbacks. One drawback is that linear ion sources are overly expensive and complicated for many uses. In fact, many applications that would benefit from ion sources forego their use because of the high costs. Another drawback is that current ion sources tend to produce ions with too much energy. Some ion sources produce ions with over 120 eV of energy. In many applications, ions with this much energy can damage the surface being treated or damage the film being deposited.
Although present ion sources are functional, they do not fulfill all requirements demanded of ion sources. Accordingly, a system and method are needed to address the shortfalls of the present technology and to provide other new and innovative features.